Service indicator



2 SheetsSheet 1 Filed April 25, 1932 fazzl VhZzng and Wilbur-3?. m'cc'reary;

ATTO RN EY June 6, 1933. P. VEHLING ET AL SERVICE INDICATOR Filed April 25, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTORSZ PazzZ 'VhZz'ng and 14 Iz'lbz1r.7i.Mc dreary,

ATTO RN E Patented June 6, 1933 entree STATES PATENT OFFICE! PAUL VEI-TLING, OF ST. LOUIS, AND WILBUR R. MCGREARY, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI SERVICE INDICATOR Application filed April 25,

Our invention relates to indicating devices whereby guests in hotels, apartments, etc, may, without leaving their respective rooms, inform the attendants of various services desired, such for instance as when fresh linen is needed, at what time they wish to be called, when they will return, etc.

In practice the devices are preferably installed in a panel of the hall doors opening into the guest chambers, and each device includes a suitable number of rollers operable from inside the chamber and bearing the desired information in duplicate so that it may be read from both the inside and the outside of the chamber.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference will now be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the device installed in the panel of a door.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the device.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the rear wall of a casing in which most of the mechanism constituting the device is installed.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the casing with the rear wall thereof removed.

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective of one of a pair of bearing plates for reinforcing the casing.

Fig. 7 is a detail of one of the rollers employed in carrying out the invention.

Fig. 8 is a detail side elevation of part of a time indicator.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged cross section on line 99 of Fig 8.

Referring in detail to the different parts, A designates the door panel which has an opening B of suitable size formed therein for the reception of the casing 2. Said casing consists of a front wall 4, side walls 6, top and bottom walls 8, and a rear wall 9, which latter is held against the rear edges of the side walls 6 by suitable means such as rivets 11 extending through openings 13 and 15 in the front and rear walls 4 and 9, respectively. The side walls 6 are provided with a plurality of slots 10 and are reinforced 1932. Serial No. 607,462.

with bearing plates 12 having apertures 14 which register with the respective slots 10. The front wall 4 is provided with a plurality of sight-openings 16, each having an enlargement 18 at one end. The rearwall 9 has a plurality of sight-openings 19 which register with and are of the same size and shape as the sight-openings 16.

As hereinbefore stated the device is equipped with a' suitable number of rollers. In the present instance we have shown four rollers 20 having reduced journals 22 rotatably mounted in the apertures 14 and provided with reduced terminals 24 which project into the slots 10. By reducing the terminals of the journals 22 as shown and described, shoulders 26 are provided which abut the side walls 6of the casing 2 and thus prevent longitudinal movement of the roll ers 20. Each roller 20 is provided near one end with a fixedly mounted wheel 28 having a notched or roughened periphery 80 which projects through the enlarged end of the respective sight-opening 16, so that the rollers can be readily rotated with the index finger.

The rollers may be of equal or different lengths according to the length of the inscription each is to bear and said rollers may be of cylindrical or polygonal cross section. In the present instance they are shown of hexagonal cross section to provide six faces for as many lines of information which are printed or otherwise suitably formed thereon. The information is preferably arranged in duplicate, the same information for instance, such as Will return at, being 011 diametrically opposed faces so that it may appear at the respective sight-openings 16 and 19. v

In addition to the rollers 20, the casing 2 is provided with a suitable number of indicators to inform the attendant not to dis turb the guest before a certain time, when the guest will return to his room, etc.

Each indicator includes a shaft mounted in apertures 42 and 44 in the front and rear walls 4 and 9, respectively, of the easing 2. A Each shaft 40 is equipped at its rear end with a fixedly mounted knob 46 and at its forward end with a pointer 48 adapted to cooperate with-a dial 50 on the front side of the wall 4. Each dial is calibrated to represent the hours from 1 to 12, inclusive, and these figures are concentrically arranged around the openings 42. The rear or outer surface of therear wall 9 has similarily calibrated dials 52 arranged concentrically around the openings 44 and adapted to cooperate with arrows 54 formed on the knobs 46, to assist the operator in accurately positioning the pointers 48 over the desired calibrations. In order that the knobs 46 may be reliably held from accidental movement each is provided with a resilient detent 56, the free end of which bears against the outer surface of the rear plate 9.

In addition to the indicators above described, we also provide an indicator for determining whether or not the room has been inspected. Said indicator consists of a pointer 58 mounted upon shaft 60 adapted to be rotated by means of a removable key 62 carried by an authorized inspector. The shaft 60 is mounted in an opening 63 in the front wall 4 of the casing 2, the rear wall 9 of which has an aperture 65 for insertion of the key 62.

The casing 2 is installed in a rabbeted portion 6a extending around the rear portion of the opening B in the panel A, after which a glass panel 66 is installed in a rabbeted portion 68 extending around the front portion of said opening B to prevent persons in the hall from tampering with the wheels 28 and the pointers 48 and 58, and at the same time affords a clear vision of the dials 50 and the inscriptions on the rollers 20. The glass panel 66 is held in place by means of a front plate 70, preferably of the same size as the rear wall 9 to which it is secured by suitable means such as bolts 72. The front plate 70 has a large opening 74 through which the inscriptions on the rollers 20 and the position of the pointers 48 and 58 may be read by an attendant standing in the hall.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings it is apparent that we have. provided a device which is well adapted for the purpose intended, and while we have shown one form of the invention we reserve all rights to such other forms and modifications thereof as properly fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination with a panel having an opening, a transparent plate covering the front portion of said opening, a casing mounted in said opening .and provided with registering sight-openings in its front and rear walls, and a roller operably mounted in saidcasing and bearing certain indicia which may be brought into view at the sight-openings by rotating said roller.

2. In combination with a panel having an opening extending transversely therethrough, a transparent plate covering the front portion of said opening, a casing mounted in said opening and provided with a plurality of registering sight-openings in its front and rear walls, and a plurality of rollers rotatably mounted in said casing, each roller bearing different kinds of information arranged in duplicate on diametrically opposed portions of its periphery for exposure at the respective front and rear sight-openmgs.

3. In combination with a panel having an opening therein, a transparent plate covering the front portion of said opening, a casing mounted in said opening and provided on its front and rear walls with dials, a shaft arranged axially with said dials and journaled in the front and rear walls of the easing, a pointer fixedly mounted upon the front end of said shaft and adapted to coact with the dial on the front wall of the casing, a knob fixed to the rear end of the shaft whereby the latter may be rotated, and a pointer carried by said knob for coacting with the dial on the rear wall of the casing, said pointer being resilient and frictionally engaging said rear wall to prevent accidental rotation of the shaft.

In testimony whereof we aihx our signatures.

PAUL VEHLING. W. R. MCCREARY. 

